Charles william aytoxst



C. W. AYTON.

1111MB BELL.

(No Model.)

No. 484,352. Patented 001. 11, 18,92.

llave/2210?( CHAIR/ 54" W /rro/v 8 Y Hm yrroR/n/Er UNTTETD STATES PATENT@Tirion CHARLES WILLIAM AYTON, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

DUMB- BELL.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. 484,352, dated October11 1892.

Application tiled April 11, 1892.

\ of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDumb-Bells, (Case No. 7,) of which the following is a specificatlon.

v In the market it is customary to find dumbbells of various weights andsizes, and therefore in order that a person may be fully equipped with aset he is obliged to purchase as many bells as exist in a set.

My invention relates to the class of dumbbells in which certainsectional parts are provided, so that it is necessary to buy but onedumb-bell, together with its adj uncts, in the manner described in theaccompanying drawings.

Figure l is a full view of the device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view inwhich a part of the device is omitted, as that which is Wanting is likethat which is shown. Fig. 3 is an end view as taken from either end ofthe bell seen in Fig. l. Fig. 4 shows the segments piled up irregularlyand partly in perspective and overlapping each other. Fig. 5 is a plan,and Fig. 6 a section, of a modified form of nut for holding the segmentstogether.

The device embodying my invention consists of the combination of acentral tie-rod a with screw-threads on each end and a tightening milledscrew b on each thread, a handle c, fastened at the middle portion ofthe rod by a pin d, balls e on the rod a, located one at each end andbearing against the ends of the said handle, spherical segments,lettered in order from the threaded end toward the center of the rod andbeing in duplicate in respect to both balls, the said lettering being fg hij lc on one ball and f g h ij lo on the other ball, the end segmentsbeing with one base and the remaining with two bases and the innersegments, and other details hereinafter described. It is preferred thatthe segments k Za of one base be much larger than the others, in orderto accomplish the proportioning of the weights similarly to thosealready in the market. It is now evident that if the segments are all ofwood or similar substance of comparatively-low speciiic gravity SerialNo. 428,585. (No model.)

the weight of the bell is a given number of pounds. I construct it ofsuch dimensions that when the same are all of hard woodsuch aswhitewood-the total weight is two same volume and shape, but ofdifferent weights-z'. e., one of wood and the other of iron, preferablyas a matter of cheapness and artistic appearance of cast-ironelectroplated withnickel. As to the sizes, the segments j k or j 7cequal a hemisphere, while the segments fg h i or f g h t" equal theother hemisphere, and are all equal in thickness, or rather in thicknessmeasured on the surface ina plane which includes the axis of the rod a.This equality of thickness has no object as far as the merits of theinvention are concerned; but it insures attractiveness 1n appearance,especially when alternate segments are respectively of wood andnickelplated iron. In order to adjust the weights of the segments inorder to obtain this equality of thickness and at the same time toconform to the usual series of total weights, some of the metal may beturned out from the hidden portion of the segment, as at Z in segment h.The two sets of segments and the one handle and rod aggregate less thantwo complete dumb-bells, and yet it is possible and easy and a matter ofvery great rapidity to make seven dumb-bells. Again these bells have auniform size and may be packed in a box which need be no larger thanthat necessary to carry two bells of the same size.

The series may be understood from the following explanation: By usingWooden segments only the total weight is two pounds. By replacing thesegments ff by iron the total weight is three pounds. By substitutingiron segments for the wooden segments g gthe totalweight is iive pounds.As these substitutions are made it is assumed that the iron segments rstput on are left on. By

IOO

changing the Wooden segments 7l z" to iron the total weight is tenpounds, the total weight being eight pounds in the substitution of thesegments h h. When the segments Vj are changed in a similar manner, thetotal Weight 1s twelve pounds, and finally, as before stated, when allbecome iron the total weight becomes twenty pounds.

It is further the fact that a still greater varlety of total weights maybe obtained by having every second or every third segment of lron andthe others of wood, and again by having iron more on one end of the bellthan on the other, so that the peculiar exercise in the twisting ofcertain muscles may be obtained. For example, one ball e may be all ironand the other all wood, in which case the wrist will feel a peculiartwist and will become strengthened by proper regularity and moderationin using the same.

It is evident that the invention may be modified without departing fromthe spirit thereof. For example, the nut b may be replaced by the ringf, which itself may be a nut and may be provided with indentations m, sothat the fingers may be placed therein and the nut removed. The nut thusmodified is lettered f". It is shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

In Fig. 4 the segments are piled up irregularly in the manner they areapt to be when removed from the device.

The practical advantage of the wood seclions of equal volume with theiron is that removable from said handle, the said balls being dividedinro spherical segments of which some are of a material-such as woodof agiven specific gravity and the remainder of anothersubstance-suchasiron-of greater specilic gravity, the volumes of correspondingsegments on the respective balls boing equal to each other.

2. A ball for a dumb-bel1, consisting of the combination of segments ofdierent specific gravities and means for holding the same together.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two Witnesses, this 6th day of April,4

CHARLES WILLIAM AYTON. Witnesses:

EDWARD P. THOMPSON, J. R. IRWIN.

